April 14, 2002
box scores - [game 2] [game 3] [game 4 ]

BEMIDJI, Minn. - Bemidji State baseball capped its most impressive offensive weekend since 1999, taking two of three games from the Wayne State Wildcats by scores of 11-7, 7-13 and 12-8 today at the BSU Baseball Field.

Playing a near-triple header today, starting with the continuation of Game 2 of an April 13 double-header which had been suspended by rain in the second inning, BSU’s offense churned out 30 runs today, and combined with a 12-7 win in Game 1 yesterday scored 42 runs in the four-game weekend series. It marks BSU’s highest-scoring four-game stretch since May 1-2, 1998 when the Beavers plated 49 runs in a 3-1 series win over NSIC rival Northern State.

BSU resumed Game 2 at 10:50 a.m., continuing a game which had been suspended due to rain in the second inning yesterday. BSU trailed 3-2 when the game was suspended, and trailed 5-3 after Wayne State plated two runs in the fourth inning today, but blew the game open with an eight-run fourth inning. Nate Olson’s three-run home run with one out kick-started the eight-run frame, and Ben Woodford later crushed a bases-loaded triple to center field and later scored an unearned run after an error by the Wayne State shortstop. The eight-run frame is BSU’s highest-scoring inning of the season.

The Wildcats plated two runs in the top of the sixth to cut the deficit to 11-7, but would get no closer.

Third baseman Brian Foy had a big game for the Wildcats, hitting the first two pitches he saw over the fence on solo home runs to lead off both the second and fourth innings. Tim Richt and Joe Hartman also homered for the Wildcats in the losing effort.

Nate Heim started on the hill for BSU and pitched five innings to earn his second win of the season. He allowed seven runs (all earned) on six hits, striking out three and walking only one. Tyler Norland pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief, walking two, and Brian Beuning pitched the final two outs to record his third save of the year.

BSU tied a season high with 16 hits in the contest, and six Beavers had two or more hits in the game. Third baseman Isaac Smieja was the only BSU starter to not record a base hit in the contest. Woodford and Shaun Ross led the way with three hits apiece. Both went 3 for 5 at the plate with three RBI, with Woodford scoring three runs and Ross scoring once. Woodford led off the eight-run fourth with a single and later tripled in the inning, while Ross had a double and a two-run home run.

GAME 3
Wayne State grabbed a 5-0 first-inning lead in the second game of the day on the strength of a two-out grand slam from designated hitter Scott Hayduk. BSU rallied with three runs in the home half of the first and three in the second to grab a 6-5 edge, but Wayne pulled away with two runs in the third and two more in the fourth.

The bottom of the BSU batting order took the game off, and it cost the Beavers. BSU’s one through five hitters combined to go 8 for 15 (.533) in the game with all seven BSU runs scored and all six RBI, while the six through nine hitters combined to go 0 for 12 with four strikeouts. Shaun Ross led the way with a 3 for 4 day at the plate. He doubled, scored three times and drove in three runs. Ben Woodford was 2 for 2 with two walks and two runs scored.

Nate Olson started on the hill for BSU but lasted just three innings, giving up seven runs (seven earned) on five hits. He struck out three and walked four, evening his record at 2-2 for the year. Justin Reid threw 1/3 of an inning in relief, allowing two earned runs on two hits, and Ryan Risbrudt closed it out pitching 3 2/3 innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits. BSU pitchers walked seven Wildcat batters, hit three others and threw two wild pitches,

Designated hitter Scott Hayduk had a huge game at the plate for the Wildcats. In addition to his first-inning grand slam to set the tone for the day, he reached on an error and drove in a run in the third and cracked a two-RBI single in the seventh to finish the day 4 for 5 with three singles, a grand slam, seven RBI and a run scored.

GAME 4
The Beavers got back on track in the day’s third game, which was a pitching duel early. Wayne State held a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth on the strength of a first-inning sacrifice fly and a Joey Baldwin single in the third, but BSU again took control of a game in the middle innings.

The Beavers plated five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as the first four batters of the frame recorded base hits. Derek Owen led off with a double and was driven home by Scott Petrowski’s triple, then a single from Gunner Geller and a double from Isaac Smieja got the inning rolling. Ben Woodford singled and later scored in the frame to give BSU a 6-2 lead.

Wayne State fought back to within 6-5 with a three-run fifth, getting a two-run home run from Ryan Radtke with none out and a one-out solo home run from Brian Foy - his third longball of the series - to get within a run.

But BSU’s bats were up to the task, plating four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to pull ahead, 10-5. Derek Owen, who had led off the fourth with a double, homered to lead off the fifth, and Gunner Geller also homered with one out just two batters later to chase Wayne State starter Travis McCarter. Isaac Smieja was hit by a pitch to follow Geller and was later driven home by Brian Beuning’s two-RBI double.

Wayne State didn’t go away quietly, scoring three times in the sixth, including a pinch-hit two-run home run from Pat Zahourek. But two BSU insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth salted the game away for the Beavers.

Shaun Zenner started on the hill for BSU and picked up his team-leading fourth win of the year. He allowed seven runs (all earned) on eight hits, struck out four and walked none in 5 1/3 innings of work. Brian Beuning pitched the final inning and two-thirds for the Beavers, allowing just one run on three hits and a walk. He struck out three, including Zahourek to end the game.

Ben Woodford went 3 for 5 in Game 4, giving him eight hits today and extending his hitting streak to 14 games. It is the longest hitting streak by a BSU player this year.

“I thought we played really well against a good team,” BSU head coach Jim Grimm said. “We hit really well and pitched well considering the wind was a huge factor. Our bats were behind our defense and pitching up until these last six games, especially in clutch times. We had some big clutch hits with two outs. I felt we did better in those situations than Wayne State.”

Bemidji State’s two wins today improved it to 12-6 on the season, 7-3 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. Wayne State’s Game 2 win snapped BSU’s six-game winning streak, its longest since an eight-game streak in 2000. Wayne State fell to 18-17, 8-4 in the NSIC. Next action for BSU comes on Tuesday, April 16 when the team will travel to North Dakota State for a non-conference double-header.

GAME NOTES
• Bemidji State hit six home runs in its first 14 games, then hit seven long-balls in its four-game series this weekend. BSU hit three home runs in Game 1, two in Game 2 and two in Game 4. BSU improved to 6-0 this year when hitting a home run.
• Ben Woodford went 8 for 12 (.667) at the plate today with a double, a triple, 7 runs scored and four RBI. For the series, Woodford went 10 for 16 (.625).
• Shaun Ross went 6 for 13 (.461) with two doubles, a home run, six runs scored and six RBI. For the series, Ross went 7 for 16 (.438).
• Brian Beuning went 4 for 10 (.400) today, extending his personal hitting streak to eight games.